I’m not strong enough to listen to the horrors of her past, I can only imagine the things that happened to her in that house. I’ve killed men in houses like that. I let that bastard live, but I know deep down he’s going to come looking for her and beat her into silence.

“I’m not sure how it happened,” her whisper barely makes it to my ears. Her confusion and pain jumbling her memories, trailing tears down her cheeks.

“How did you meet that guy? The one that I shot.” I have no desire to know the story, but she needs this.

“I met him at school. I was having a rough week, Justin was on my case about grades again, and finals were coming up. I was in a hurry to get to class when my bag ripped open. I was trying to get everything shoved back in when he kneeled down to help me. It was like he was my knight in shining armor.”

I can already see where this is going, men like him are the worst. They prey on the weak. She was the perfect target. He probably had been watching her for days, if not weeks. Just waiting for the perfect time to make his move. I clench my fist tightly to my side as she continues.

Her story has barely started, and I can’t keep still. I push back from the table and start pacing back and forth. She looks up from the table, barely meeting my eyes before dropping them back down to continue her story,

“Unlike me, he looked like he had his life together. His smile was dazzling as he wiped my tears away and walked me to class, made me feel important, special.

“After that we started hanging out, just coffee and study dates at first. We always met somewhere on campus or in town, Javier said he wanted me to feel safe. I never thought twice about it, he talked about his family all sharing a house, so it was crowded.”

Emma continues to stare at nothing, her words are emotionless. It sounds more like she’s describing someone else’s life. She takes a deep breath before continuing, but I can tell by her expression what’s coming next. I stop pacing and brace myself against the counter, looking out the window and hoping that I can keep my anger hidden. I’ve tried to prepare myself for this moment and remain calm, but my anger is slowly boiling to the surface.

“Then suddenly he wanted different things from me, not the normal pressures like sex. I wish it were only sex, that I gladly would have been able to deal with.”

I turn to see her arms wrapped around her self in an attempt to hold herself together as a stray tear trickles down her cheek before she continues. “He told me we were going to see his family, I was excited thinking that finally meant we were something more. That our relationship wasn’t just puppy love,” a humorless chuckle escapes her lips. “When we arrived, he told me to keep my mouth shut and my head down. He was no longer the caring Javier I was used to, he was cold and cruel, pulling me along after him instead of holding my hand.”

I grip the edge of the counter, cementing myself into place. If I ever see Javier’s face again, I will do more than just shoot him in the kneecap. I will end him.

“Inside, it smelled like weed and cigarette smoke. No one spoke English, I was shoved in a corner and sat there for what felt like hours.

“He raped me for the first time that night. He laughed while I cried and begged him to stop. After that, everything changed. The sweet boy I had grown to care for disappeared. He said I couldn’t go back to my dorm, talk to my friends or my family, and that tonight was only a taste of what would happen if I disobeyed. Things only got worse after that. If I didn’t do something right or I misbehaved, he would let his boys pass me around.”

Her last sentence is a whisper, but I hear it as clearly as if she had yelled it. I can tell she is struggling to keep her composure, anyone would be a wreck after living through that type of hell.

I can’t listen to any more of this, or I'll explode, I’m going to kill that bastard if it’s the last thing I do. “Emma.” Kneeling next to her chair, I fight the urge to pull her into my lap. Slowly, I place my hand on her shoulder, and begin to slide it down the curve of her back, she moves into my lap and wraps herself around me as if waiting for the invitation.

We sit on the floor of the dining room, her arms, and legs wrapped around me with bruising force while I cradle her head to my chest. I’m powerless to do much about what happened to her before this moment, but I can guarantee that I will make sure nothing happens to her again. Not on my watch.